Located on a hill above Zuoz, just outside St. Moritz, this stylish manor-like boutique hotel is an invigorating combustion of art, architecture and well-being. Hermann Gilli constructed the hotel, with renowned St. Moritz architect Nicolas Hartmann, who hoped to create a spa-minded getaway for European elite. Shortly after the 1929 stock market crash, the hotel was forced to close and endure three decades of fire, disrepair and even worse – becoming an all-inclusive family hotel for most of the '70s and '80s. In the late '90s the hotel was acquired by its current owners, Bettina and Richard Plattner, and renovated into an art-minded design hotel including original installations by Roman Signer, Pipilotti Rist, Carsten Höller, Martin Kippenberger and James Turrell. Aside from the art, the lobby area includes a well-received full service restaurant with Asian-minded menu in addition to the bustling Red Bar by architect Gabrielle Hächler and multi-media artist Pipilotti Rist. For spa-minded guests there is an in-house Hamam as well as an outdoor pool terrace overlooking the surrounding mountainside. 

The Room:

As much as we loved the hotel lobby and common areas, we couldn’t help but feel that the guest rooms looked like something from IKEA that wasn’t assembled correctly or completely. Guest rooms feature singular color palettes with institutional furnishings usually limited to a built-in desk or seating area with impractical plastic chair. Exposed wooden accents remind that one is in Switzerland, but absolutely free of any type of luxury. All guest rooms are outfitted with wireless LAN connection and flat screen TV’s – think airplane seat back. The strongest part of the guest room is the bathroom where clean lines and white tile offset handsome dark marble accents with deep soaking tub and Philippe Starck hardware.